Asia Cup 2025 snub: How Shreyas Iyer can draw inspiration from Sachin Tendulkar

Asia Cup 2025 snub: How Shreyas Iyer can draw inspiration from Sachin Tendulkar (AFP/AP Photos)

Now that 24 hours have passed since the selection meeting, the question to ask is what could Shreyas Iyer be thinking? Can he get his head round the fact that he isn’t part of the team? Can he fathom why it has been the case? Is there a logical explanation to it?

Frankly, Shreyas need not think any of it. It is not in his hands and that’s what he has to come to terms with. Sport is unfair at times and so is life. With Shreyas he isn’t new to adversity. From being sidelined with injury to being dropped from the BCCI central contracts, he has seen it all and that’s what leads me to say that all Shreyas needs to do is score runs.

Let me give you a Sachin example. He had been removed from captaincy and hadn’t been informed about it as well. He got to know from media reports and his first reaction was they could take the captaincy away from him but no one, yes no one, could take his cricket away. He was determined to score runs and big runs. Score so many runs that no one dared to say a word to him. And that’s what he did and played for another fifteen years.

Shreyas does have the bat in his hand. He does have the option of going out there for Mumbai or West Zone or Punjab and score runs. While the selectors won’t play, Shreyas will. And no one can stop him from scoring big runs. If he does so, there is no stopping him. He could get dropped once or twice but then with big runs there will be a time when he will break open the door. The World Cup is still five months away and Shreyas will have enough and more opportunities. He just needs to focus on his game and keep scoring. Score hundreds and big hundreds. That’s all he needs to do.

Why is he being talked about? Not because he is marketable or that he is a brand. But because he has scored runs for Mumbai and India and Punjab Kings. Each time he has been given an opportunity, he has delivered.

For a performer that’s your best retort. There is no need for any talk. In fact, talk is cheap. Just go out there and make the bat do the talking. That’s where Shreyas belongs. When the bowler runs in to bowl to him, there will be no one else but his bat to help him. No one else is needed. And yes there are players in this team who could most likely make way for him. Shivam Dube for example isn’t much of a bowler anymore. Could Iyer have replaced him? Or Rinku Singh? Could Iyer have replaced Jurel in the standbys? The answer is yes.

If someone was to advise Shreyas Iyer all that he needs to be told is do what he has been doing so far. Keep scoring runs and keep reminding people what he is capable of and can do for India. Sport always gives a second chance. Ask Karun Nair. Shreyas too will have his chance. His runs will force the door open.